Well done, CVS

I applaud CVS as the first national pharmacy chain to plan to become tobacco-free. Eight years ago, my partner and I, owners of Bayshore Pharmacy in Atlantic Highlands, made the decision to pull all tobacco products from the store. At the time, it was a frightening prospect for us because all the business models demanded the cigarette business to "drive traffic" and all the conventional wisdom said we needed the cigarettes to keep customers coming back.

For us, the decision became a personal choice between bringing customers into the store and placing the health of our patients above profit.

It really wasn’t a difficult decision, even if it meant our sales would suffer. As a parent and former smoker, I could not continue to allow a portion of my store to be devoted to the detriment of the very patients I was trying to help stay healthy. It was the best decision we ever made, and we have never looked back.

Not only did we make a business decision that was in sync with our personal beliefs, but we were able to grow and thrive after the cigarettes and cigars were thrown in the trash.

I respect the right of business owners to continue to sell them if that is their choice.

I often think about our decision and still consider it a job well done. Now, after eight years, Bayshore Pharmacy is proud to welcome thousands more CVS pharmacies into the tobacco-free fold.

Richard P. Stryker, Atlantic Highlands

Healthy profits?

I sure hope CVS’s move to snub tobacco products trends wildly. Other pharmacies sell both cigarettes and quitting patches? Strange that pharmacies would still sell what the FDA decades ago concluded causes cancer.